Thread: Turning a handle

To part it off, put your hand over the spindle, with the fingers touching the back of the tool rest and the thumb lightly resting on the job, use the long point of the skew to cut the job off. Easy see?
Well this is how I do it, I hope it is easy to follow and helps in making your own handles.
Jim

great work was wondering how to make handles now I know
Regards Michael

Thanks for posting.

The photo's make it look too easy...I know in reality I'll need to destroy a few handles before I'm that good. What speed did you bore the hole at approximately?

What's the wood, ash?

Any chance of a how-to on fitting the chisel itself...no pressure Jim.

Cheers
Gazza.

Good WIP, Jim

I would just like to stress that the most important step is: DRILL THE HOLE FIRST!

(Doing it last has created more firewood than handles. )

G'day Powderpost,
Thanks for posting, a good easy to follow description.
Just wondering though, is that Mt Gambier Teak that you have used for the handle?
Regards,
Barry.

Nicely done tutorial.

The end result looks super!

Same as I do, when making a bespoke handle.

While skew has a good point, I have also at times made spare handles for future stock. By definition these are undrilled.

When needed, these get a layer of tape around the butt end, and get gripped lightly in chuck. Set up 3-point steady to run true on ferrule, then drill appropriate hole using drill in Jacobs chuck in tailstock.

Works for me.

regards

Thanks for the post Jim.

FWIW I like the recent fashion in handle shapes among commercial makers of having something of a 'blob' near the ferrule ... good for ageing paws.

And I drill with a brad point bit from the tailstock end with the other end of the handle chuck-mounted but mostly parted away. Usually works. When not, what was epoxy invented for? ;-} (And then cut the tenon off with a Jap handsaw and finish sanding by hand).

Good one Jim.

Originally Posted by powderpost

Can't remember if this has been done before, but I needed a new handle for a chisel and thought it may interest some one to see how I go about it.
Started with a piece of 35mm x 35mm 300mm long.
Put the driving spur in the tailstock and a drill chuck with a bit in it, in the headstock.
Put the tool rest up against the timber so it can be steadied by hand.
Bore the hole at a slow speed to the required depth.
Take the timber out, replace the driving spur in the headstock and fit a live cone centre in the tailstock to fit into the hole. This ensures the hole is co-axial (on centre).
Turn the timber parallel and a bit full of the required size.
Now mark the length of the ferule and turn to required diameter.
Fit the ferule by driving onto the blank.
Turn to desired shape. I prefer a cigar shape.
For some decoration, use the long point of the skew to make a small cut and use a piece of wire with a handle fitted, burn some rings. I use light gauge galvanised tie wire.
Finish off the handle, here I used shyte hot wax for simplicity and a quick finish

I do it exactly the same way unless it is a steel handle.

Originally Posted by Alastair

Same as I do, when making a bespoke handle.

While skew has a good point, I have also at times made spare handles for future stock. By definition these are undrilled.

When needed, these get a layer of tape around the butt end, and get gripped lightly in chuck. Set up 3-point steady to run true on ferrule, then drill appropriate hole using drill in Jacobs chuck in tailstock.

Works for me.

regards

I drill a 3/16th hole as a guide for spare handles and leave it at that so that it guides the larger holes later.

Some points raised...
The hole size is quite critical for round bar tools. I try for a hole slightly smaller than the tool. For tools with a "flat" tang, e.g. a skew or a bench chisel, bore two different size holes and use the tang as a reamer, to within about 12mm, then drive the chisel home. I NEVER glue the tool into the handle. In fifty odd years as a tradesman, I have never had the need.
It is VERY important to bore the hole first. Like most others, I make a few extra handles at the same time, they have an 8mm hole to be later bored out to suit.
This handle was made from common old pine. In fact it was part of a pine packing case.
The ferule is hard drawn copper tube, a scrap from the local friendly plumber.
Jim

If you prefer, ferrules can be turned from brass plumbing fittings on a wood lathe. I used a surplus file ground to provide clearance and remove most of the file teeth (to reduce likelihood of shattering). Shown here: http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=71895 (post #5 pic). The fitting was mounted on the threaded thing in pin jaws and turned, then the internal threads help to engage the handle timber, and/or provide purchase for epoxy. No epoxy for the shank; just a drive fit. BTW, ignore WWF Google; no longer here.

Joe

FWIW with a rectangular tang of constant width, I measure across the diagonal and subtract a mm. That's the hole size in a hardwood handle.

For such a tang but tapered you have to mess around with a stepped hole. If I get that wrong and the handle is good wood well turned then I get out the epoxy.

Otherwise, my end-stock drilled holes are fine, and I fit the tool by pushing the tang into the hole (off the lathe) and drop the pair multiple times on a bit of carpet with the handle end downwards. That's enough to seat the metal in the wood.

I don't bother to fit a ferrule to spindle gouges.

Mea culpa ... have to correct the above.

With round shanks I drill a hole a mm less than the shank diam.

....

Have just realised, probably, why, cos it takes up the slop.

Reason for the mea culpa is that I just did a handle for a 5/8 round shank with my normal method. Didn't have a brad point or twist drill a mm less so just used a saw-tooth bit of 5/8.

Yep, not a good fit. Accounted for by movement in the handle over the whole length despite being held in a chuck and tenon (and on this occasion, being long, with a steady).